TO WHICH NAVY?

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 132, 4 June 1914, Page 4

TO WHICH NAVY?

THE BURDEN OF LOCAL SEA DEFENCE. REFORM POLICY SHREDDED. LIBERAL LEADER'S r^KJTTCISM".. In the coursf of his Devonport speech last night. Sir .lespph Ward made telling references to the naval defence policy nf the present Government. He contended that no party had the right to alter a great national system that had existed for over 30 years until the plwtors of the country dad authorised them tn make the change. The First Lord nf tbe Admiralty hail only reeeiuly siat«i that if there were thro-p DrPadnnugbis in Australian -watpis. and the British flppt went down in a nig fight in the North Sea. then toe three Drvadi;mights out here might as well he sunk, as they would be useless. i Loud applause.l Every man. d'-.-lared Sir .Inscph. was as vitally interested in the preservation of the British Isles as ill that of Xcw Zealand. tllear. hear.l The Primv .Minister »> now saying

that nothing would lie definitely decided till tbe Imperial Conference of 19-13 had' been held, yet laol year tiivy repealed the £.100.000 contribution to the British Navy, and had put int.) the Statute Book almost a replica of the Common-wealth Navy Act save two or three clauses. Did they recognise what it nveaalt? There was no use in the Minister tor Defence or thp Prime Minister telling them or him that they were only going in .for one Brit-tol cruiser. Unless, they were going to he guilty of a criminal act to the tttrtr of that navy they mwt, provide an "-fficicrtt navy. I: it werp not. pfficient. then they migbt tn stand by the great old British Navy, which was undeniably efficient. ißoa.rs nf applause "Ynu cannot find any country in the world, s-i fir as I know, that started with an in-efficient navy." said Sir Joseph, who after referring M the estimate of Admiral Henderson that £25.225.000 would bp absorbed in establishing an Australian navy, declared that he was in favour of a proper defence of this country, but that he -was not in favour of allo-wing defence to run away .with them. iApplause.) "I sa-y the way to kil! our defence sysTem is by heaping up a sea burden of defence. The country cannot stand it aire more than it can fly."' said thp speaker. "At the present ratp.'' he added, "we shall -be committed to an pxpenditurp of £1.500.000 a year for nava.l and land defence. I think the wisest and best thing to do w to follow the a.-i-vi.-c of the British naval authorities, who declared their belief in one Imp-erial navy." (Renewed, and loud a.pplau-p.l Sectional navies had been

condemned by some of the best qualified men in letters to himself in the last four or -fix*? years, said Sir Joseph, who concluded the subject by declaring. "I say that, .beforp the 101,5 conference we ought, to have a genera] idea what the people want in this matter. Wp must face considerably increased taxation if \vc are to have a change tn an pfneient local navy, and I contend that our safpgt course is tn stand by the strongest and grpatest na.vv the -world has ever seen. I Shouts of applause.)